by 1400 on X-1 Day, the day before the attack, and
said it must occur at a fixed time in good flying weather. Jodl
conferred with the propaganda experts on "imminent common
tasks" such as German violations of international law,
exploitation of them by the enemy and refutations by the Germans,
which "task" Jodl considered "particularly
important".

After Munich, Jodl wrote:

"Czechoslovakia as a power is
out.... The genius of the Führer and his determination not to
shun even a World War have again won the victory without the use of
force. The hope remains that the incredulous, the weak! and the
doubtful people have been converted and will remain that
way."

Shortly after the Sudeten occupation, Jodl went lo a
post command and did not become Chief of the Operations Staff in OKW
until the end of August 1939.

Jodl discussed the Norway invasion with Hitler,
Keitel, and Raeder on 12 December 1939; his diary is replete with
late entries on his activities in preparing this attack. Jodl
explains his comment that Hitler was still looking for an
"excuse" to move meant he was waiting for reliable
intelligence on the British plans, and defends the invasion as a
necessary move to forestall them. His testimony shows that from
October 1939 Hitler planned to attack the West through Belgium, but
was doubtful about invading Holland until the middle of November. On
8 February 1940, Jodl, his deputy Warlimont, and Jeschonnek, the Air
Forces planner, discussed among themselves the "new idea"
of attacking Norway. Denmark, and Holland but guaranteeing the
neutrality of Belgium. Many of the 17 orders postponing the attack in
the West for various reasons including weather conditions, until May
1940, were signed by Jodl.

He was active in the planning against Greece and Yugoslavia. The
Hitler order of 11 January 1941 to intervene in Albania was initialed
by Jodl. On 20 January, 4 months before the attack, Hitler told a
conference of German and Italian generals in Jodl's presence that
German troop concentrations in Rumania were to be used against
Greece. Jodl was present on 18 March when Hitler told Raeder all
Greece must be occupied before any settlement could be reached. On 27
March, when Hitler told the German High Command that the destruction
of Yugoslavia should be accomplished with "unmerciful
harshness", and the decision was taken to bomb Belgrade without
a declaration of war, Jodl was also there.

Jodl testified that Hitler feared an attack by Russia and so
attacked first. This preparation began almost a year before the
invasion. Jodl told Warlimont as early as 29 July 1940 to prepare the
plans since Hitler had decided to attack; and Hitler later told
Warlimont he had planned to attack in August 1940 but postponed